According to NBC News, U.S. Defense officials claim that the military is seeking alternative routes to transport Americans, Afghans, and third-country citizens to Kabul's airport. This follows threats from Islamic State.
Two defense officials confirmed to NBC News that they are monitoring specific threats made by ISIS against Kabul's airport and the people trying to reach it. Officials explained that alternative routes are being explored to evacuate people from the evacuation zone.
A defense official said to NBC News that they are executing an alternative path. This involves assembling smaller groups at certain locations and then moving them to airport in intervals. This is done to ensure they get there safely and to make it quicker to get through the gate with smaller groups.
As President Joe Biden and his Administration are being criticized for their handling of the evacuation from Afghanistan, ISIS is now a real threat.
Biden announced the withdrawal earlier in the year. However, there have been multiple controversies surrounding the event, including people crowding the airport making it nearly impossible to obtain any documentation.
American citizens were warned by the U.S. Embassy to Afghanistan that they should not travel to Kabul Airport because of "potential security threats beyond the Kabul airport gates."
On Saturday, a White House official informed journalists that six U.S. military C-17s had left Kabul and that 32 charters had also left. These 38 flights carried approximately 3,800 passengers. According to the White House, approximately 17,000 people have been evacuated since August 14.
An official from the White House informed the media pool that Biden met Saturday morning with his national security advisers. These conversations were focused on the current security situation in Afghanistan and counter-terrorism operations there, as well as issues related to ISIS. According to the White House, larger-scale evacuations were also discussed.
